Some progress on recapitalization. MarineLog is reporting delivery of the tenth Webber class WPC (Fast Response Cutter) named for Raymond Evans. Evans was with Munro when largely Coast Guard manned boats pulled a Marine detachment out of a trap. More information:
http://www.uscg.mil/history/weboralhistory/EvansOralHistory.asp
http://www.uscg.mil/history/WEBORALHISTORY/Ray_Evans_Video_Interview.asp
Navy Times reports that eight types of surface ships including aircraft carriers, amphibs, command ships, cruisers, destroyers, frigates, and LCSs averaged 33.1% of the time underway during the years 2011 to 2013.
Wonder how figures for the Coast Guard compare? The Navy figure is almost certainly different from “Days Away From Homeport” although the article seems to equate it when they say, “Sailors…have seen more of the sea than they have of their families in the past three years.” How are they counting yard periods away from homeport (probably a rare event for them), or in port time way from homeport? Is a day underway for only a few hours counted the same as a 24 hour day?
No matter how these are counted, my impression is that the Coast Guard’s average would be higher in spite of the numerous mechanical breakdowns we are hearing about. If so, shouldn’t more people know it?
The procurement process for the Offshore Patrol Cutters is well underway. Three conceptual designs have been selected for further development. Challenges to the selection process have been rejected. There should be decision on the final design and contractor about the end of next year.
Perhaps the ships might feel closer to reality if there were a class name. I like the fact that we have been naming ships for notable figures in the history of the Coast Guard and its predecessor services as was done for the Bertholf and Webber Class cutters. Lets continue that with the Offshore Patrol Cutters.
Frank H. Newcomb
Our friend Bill Wells tells the story of First Lieutenant, Frank H. Newcomb (Captain Commandant upon retirement), CO of the Hudson when it towed the Navy torpedo boat Winslow to safety from under Spanish guns in the port of Cardenas, Cuba during the Spanish American War.
Revenue Cutter Hudson towing USS Winslow while underfire from Spanish guns.
Newcomb was honored by the Navy as namesake for a Fletcher class destroyer, DD-586, USS Newcomb. She had a short but eventful history. In spite of not being commissioned until November 1943. She and another ship sank the Japanese submarine, I-185. She provided naval gun fire support at Saipan, Leyte, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. As flagship of destroyer squadron 56, she lead a night torpedo attack on a Japanese Fleet during the Battle of Surigao Strait. She scored at least one torpedo hit on the Battleship Yamashiro, which was sunk in the battle, and like her namesake, while under fire, she towed a damaged ship, USS Albert W. Grant (DD-649), to safety. Off Okinawa she survived five (or six) Kamikaze hits.
USS Newcomb, DD-586, after taking at least four and possibly as many as six kamikaze strikes
Newcomb’s career was not limited to his time on the Hudson. This short biography (pdf) by Atlantic Area Historian William H. Thiesen also talks about his peacetime leadership, and how Admiral Waesche personal chose Newcomb as namesake for a destroyer as the best representative of the Coast Guard.
http://www.uscg.mil/lantarea/ExternalAffairs/humanstories/FrankNewcomb.pdf
“While Newcomb distinguished himself commanding a cutter in battle, he spent much of his career working as a field officer and inspector for the United States Life-Saving Service. Throughout his career, Newcomb championed the rights of those whose efforts merited recognition and promotion. For example, when he had received the medal for his wartime exploits, he insisted that Hudson’s crew receive specially struck medals as well, and the cook and stewards mate became the first African Americans to receive such recognition.
“Many in the Coast Guard as well as the general public have heard the story of the service’s only African American Live-Saving Service crew, which manned North Carolina’s Pea Island Life-Saving Station beginning in 1880. Few may realize that it was locally assigned U.S. Life-Saving Service inspector, Lieutenant Frank Newcomb, who worked diligently behind the scenes to institute an African American crew at that station. In fact, the local community opposed the establishment of an African American manned lifesaving station and arsonists burned down the original station. Newcomb had to camp out at the remote site of the burned out Pea Island station during construction of a new building to prevent sabotage a second time. While no one should diminish the accomplishments of the Pea Island Station’s courageous African American crew, it was Newcomb who risked his career and reputation to institute Pea Island’s African American crew in the racially-charged South following the Civil War.”
There has never been a Coast Guard vessel named for Newcomb. I think it is about time.
If you have any other suggestions for namesakes for the class, please add them in the comments section.
Navy times has a story reporting the findings of a Coast Guard investigation regarding the death of BM3 Obendorf during small boat ops aboard the cutter Waesche. Some notable elements:
“He was in an area where crew members aren’t supposed to be stationed, according to the report, but was there because a piece of rescue equipment wasn’t working properly.”
“Witness accounts said Obendorf was trapped twice by the net (emphasis applied-Chuck), but was uninjured the first time. He wasn’t supposed to be standing at the front of the boat during the passenger transfer, but Waesche’s crew had been placing someone in that position to overcome an equipment deficiency.”
“Waesche’s capture line never worked consistently, so the crew put a member at the front of the boat to connect it manually.”
“…the conditions Nov. 11 didn’t strike any of the key personnel as dangerous. However, they were operating outside of published safety limits…”
—Another Example of perhaps to much “can do” spirit?
Vice Adm. Paul Zukunft. U.S. Coast Guard photo.
The Coast Guard Compass has just announced that,
“Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson announced President Obama’s intent to nominate Vice Adm. Paul F. Zukunft, currently Pacific Area commander, to be the next commandant of the United States Coast Guard in an all hands email to DHS personnel.”
You can see the full announcement here.
Here is his official bio:
Vice Admiral Zukunft previously served as the Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship. His other Headquarters flag assignments include the Director of Response Policy and the Assistant Commandant for Capability.
In 2010, Vice Admiral Zukunft served as the Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the Deepwater Horizon Spill of National Significance where he directed more than 47,000 responders, 6,500 vessels and 120 aircraft during the largest oil spill in U.S. history.
Vice Admiral Zukunft was promoted to flag rank in 2006 and his previous flag assignments include Commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District and Director, Joint Interagency Task Force West.
His senior staff assignments included Chief of Operations, Coast Guard Pacific Area and Chief of Operations Oversight, Coast Guard Atlantic Area where he directly supervised all major cutter oin the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. He also served as Chief of Staff, at the Fourteenth Coast Guard Districin Honolulu.
Vice Admiral Zukunft has commanded six units and served extensively in the cutter fleet where he commanded the cutters CAPE UPRIGHT, HARRIET LANE, and RUSH.
Vice Admiral Zukunft graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1977 with a Bachelor of Scdegree in Government; from Webster University in 1988 with a Master of Arts degree in Managemand from the U.S. Naval War College in 1997 with a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies. He is a graduate of the Asia Pacific Center for Strategic Studies Executive Seminar and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government National Preparedness Leadership Initiative Course.
Vice Admiral Zukunft is a native of North Branford, Connecticut. He wears the permanent Cutterman pin and is a certified NIMS ICS Type I Area Commander. His personal awards include the Department of Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, three Legions of Merit and five Meritorious Service medals with “O” device among others.
The US Naval Institute News reports, “Coast Guard Pushes Back Against Congressional Calls for Reductions.”
Nice to see Vice Adm. John Currier standing his ground before Congress. Congress seems to want the Coast Guard to tell them which of its eleven missions it should stop doing entirely.
That really makes no sense, because if the job needs to be done, they will have to create a new agency to do it with all the initial start up problems reorganization can entail. Better to simply scale back operations in some areas, retain the expertise, and be ready to expand again if and when additional funds become available.
If on the other hand Congress sees no reason for some missions to be done at all, they should have the courage to repeal the laws and accept the consequences.
Fiercehomelandsecurity is reporting the President has nominated Jeh Johnson, formerly the Defense Department’s general counsel, to serve as the next homeland security secretary. Undoubtedly the department needs leadership. Currently the Department has an acting Secretary, acting Deputy Secretary, and acting Inspector General.
Alejandro Mayorkas, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and nominee for DHS Deputy Secretary is already under fire, reportedly being investigated by the department Inspector General for helping a prominent politician secure investor visas.
Fiercehomelandsecurity also reports that the Deputy Inspector General Charles Edwards was questioned by letter from Sens. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.)–the chairwoman and ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee on financial and contracting oversight, regarding accusations of abuse of power and nepotism. Edwards currently heads the IG staff, as the IG position has long been vacant.
The Cuttermen’s Association has published the first of what they hope to be several helpful guides. This one is designed to help those with deck watch experience transition into the Merchant Marine. Looks like it contains a lot of useful info, its relatively short, and its available for download as a pdf.
“The Coast Guard Cuttermen’s Association is proud to announce the first of hopefully a series of Cuttermen’s Association sponsored publications intended to benefit our membership and their personal and professional education and advancement.
“”A Coasties Companion Guide to the Mariner Licensing Process” (PDF document) was written by Coasties, for Coasties, to help overcome some of the real and perceived barriers that active and former Coast Guard members may have experienced in their pursuit of a Merchant Mariners Credential.
“Enjoy and “Fair winds and following seas” for those of you navigating the licensing process. We hope this guide helps!
“EDITOR’S NOTE: This specific guide is targeted toward deck licenses and endorsements and is most relevant to Boatswain Mates and Deck Watch Officers. Hopefully someone else will take on the challenge on the engineering side…if someone out there wants to accept that challenge, please contact the Coast Guard Cuttermen’s Association and we’ll gladly help you get started and give you a place to publish!
“DISCLAIMER: While we are confident of the accuracy of the information that follows, it is an interpretation of large amounts of highly technical information that is subject to change over time. If at any point you have any questions or just want to verify your understanding of something, you are strongly encouraged to visit the NMC website or call 1-888-IASKNMC. Additionally, if anyone identifies any errors in this document, let us know so we can correct/update it appropriately.”
The August issue of US Naval Institute Proceedings is appropriately enough, the “Coast Guard Issue,” although less than a third of the content is Coast Guard related. I was disappointed but not surprised to see that there was no article about the OPC. It includes four articles that are written by Coasties, active or retired, and includes a “rouges gallery” of CG flag officers and senior enlisted as well an orgainizational chart.
There is one particular article I’d like to recommend that actually dares to be a bit controversial, and it is available on line, “Reinvent the Fifth Armed Service, Quickly”. I think it is definitely worth a read.
They talk about
As I say it is controversial, it is going to ruffle some feathers, and hopefully it will start some thinking and some discussion.
A couple of items that might be of interest.
If there was any doubt about the viciousness of the drug wars in Mexico, this ought to clarify things: Recently a Mexican Navy Vice Admiral was ambushed and murdered.
The Italian Coast Guard launches the first of two new ships. Relatively large at 310 feet long and 3,600 tons full load, but not nearly as capable as the projected Offshore Patrol Cutter, to me this looks like an adaptation of an oil industry Offshore Support Vessel. Most interesting feature is electric propulsion. Raytheon’s integrated bridge system might also be interesting, but there are no details in the story. Reasonable question is, can they can function effectively with a crew of only 38 or do they need additional augmentation for each mission. Apparently they can routinely berth up to 60 in addition to the crew, and up to 600 additional in case of an emergency. This last is a reflection of Italy’s Alien Migrant Interdiction problem.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 